After Two 10-Game Win Streaks, The Cubs Lost 14 of 16 and Now May Is On The Line

Man, what a wild ride May has been for the Chicago Cubs. They started the month hotter than a summer day in the Emerald City, ripping off eight straight wins to cap off their *second* ten-game winning streak of the season. Like, seriously, two ten-game streaks? That's insane! But then, what in the world happened? Manager Craig Counsell's squad hit a wall, losing a staggering 14 of their next 16 games, including a brutal 10-game losing streak. Talk about a whiplash. Now, after winning three of their past four, including a crucial 6-1 victory on Saturday night against the Cardinals, they have a shot to take the series from their longtime rivals and salvage some pride for the month. It's all on the line Sunday night.

Where Did Seiya Suzuki's Power Go?

One guy who's definitely feeling the ups and downs is right fielder Seiya Suzuki. This dude is battling hard to find his power stroke, and you can see it in the numbers. Remember last season? Suzuki smashed 31 doubles and 32 homers in 571 at-bats. That's some serious pop! But this season, he's only got five doubles and seven homers in 168 at-bats. His double on Saturday night was his first extra-base hit since way back on May 15, and he hasn't gone deep since May 8. Ouch. You just know he's grinding. "There's good at-bats, and there's some bad at-bats, but I think the amount of good at-bats is increasing," Suzuki said through an interpreter. He's trying to figure it out one at-bat at a time, even focusing on defense to help the team. That's the kind of hustle you love to see, even when the bat isn't fully there.

Bullpen Battles and Rough Starts Plague Both Sides

It's not just the Cubs trying to get right. The Cardinals are reeling too, dropping five of their last six games. And their bullpen has been getting absolutely rocked. On Friday, Andre Pallante only lasted three innings, forcing manager Oliver Marmol to burn through six relievers in a narrow 6-5 win. Then Saturday, Kyle Leahy only made it 4 1/3 innings, and Marmol needed four more from the bullpen, who then coughed up five runs, two of them earned, in the 6-1 loss. Leahy was straight up about it, telling reporters, "I feel like I let them down. If I'm able to get through a little bit more, then Gordon (Graceffo) doesn't have to do (1 2/3 innings) on back-to-back and things like that. It's a trickle effect." You feel for the guy when he knows he left his team hanging. Now, for Sunday's finale, the Cardinals are sending left-hander Matthew Liberatore (2-3, 4.76 ERA) to the mound. He hasn't gone past six innings all season, even though he just struck out a career-high 10 in his last start, going five innings and giving up three runs. For the Cubs, it's Jordan Wicks (0-1, 16.62 ERA) making only his second start. His season debut was rough, giving up eight runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings during a 12-1 loss. But here's a kicker: Wicks has been a Cardinals killer in the past, with three appearances and one start against them, giving up zero runs in eight innings. He even had a three-inning save against them last September! This Sunday game is huge for both teams to try and end May on something that feels like an upswing. You gotta tune in, folks, because anything can happen.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.